


Of Considerate Guys and Weirdos

by FallacyFallacy



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Autistic Kanzaki Souma, Essays, Gen, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27291355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallacyFallacy/pseuds/FallacyFallacy
Summary: Leo:Ah, it’s a visitor! Ucchuu~☆Souma:U-ucchuu~...?Leo:Ooh, while suspicious, you still returned my greeting! You’re a good guy! I love considerate guys and weirdos!A meta to explore the many interesting facets of Kanzaki Souma’s personality across the Ensemble Stars! canon, and also to explain with references why I interpret him as autistic.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26
Collections: Allbingo





	Of Considerate Guys and Weirdos

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for discussion of suicidal ideation, though I have inserted an in-page link so it is possible to skip that part if you prefer!

Even by the standards of Japanese media, Ensemble Stars! features a lot of characters who are defined by being unusual. The most obvious examples, of course, are the appropriately-named Five Oddballs, but they are far from alone – joining them in strangeness are the eccentric lyrical genius Leo, the natural-born idol Subaru who struggles to understand emotions, Sora whose synaesthesia is both a gift and a burden, and the socially anxious and creepy Mayoi. This is clearly a theme that head writer Akira finds interesting, and as such many of his stories revolve around exploring the nature of difference and the ways such unique people find their place within a conformist society.

However, among these characters, Souma is often overlooked. It’s understandable why – as a member of Akatsuki, he is aligned with the Student Council, which is explicitly opposed and antagonistic towards students who stand out from the norm. He is diligent and hard-working and tries very dearly to follow the rules. Kanata describes him as a ‘good boy,’ in direct contrast to Oddballs like himself, and says that the world will be kind to him because of that. (Natsume substory Coming From Afar) But Kanata isn’t exactly the best judge of normality. Souma is all of those things, but he is also very _weird_.

> **Keito:** But I’m glad, it seems like they’re having fun… [Kanzaki]’s an odd one after all, so I was worried if he was being isolated in class or not.  
>  **Natsume:** AhaHa. It’s not rare to have “odd people” in the current Yumenosaki Academy, or should I sAY, the environment has become easier to breath iN.  
>  \- Coloured Flower Cards (Superficial Dreaming 1)

Souma is odd. This is expressed consistently throughout his stories – by close friends, by strangers, by those who like him, and those who very much don’t. Even Souma himself readily admits his tendency to act strangely compared to other people, acknowledging the fact with neither shame nor pride.

> **Tomoya:** (He’s so cool, even though he can act a bit weird once in a while.) (But all of that is part of his unique character. I’m jealous; he’s really like an idol.) (Tsukimi Live, Love and the Dawn 1)

> **Kaoru:** Oh boy, looks like I’ve caught the eye of a weirdo~…If you were a girl I’d gladly embrace that, but with a guy, it’s just a disappointing turn of events. (Crossroads, Crowd 4)

> **Mao:** Well, he displays a lot of bizarre behavior, so whenever I see him I get really anxious. But he’s not a bad guy. If we could become close from here on out it’d be nice. (School Trip, Chapter 5)

> **Leo:** Ooh, while suspicious, you still returned my greeting! You’re a good guy! I love considerate guys and weirdos! (Cats and the Camellia Train, chapter 6)

> **Souma:** Well then, if you will excuse me. If I perchance happen to do something odd again, I would ask that you lecture me again if it is not too bothersome... Hasumi-dono ♪ (Crossroad, Curse 2)

Many players see this strangeness as merely a result of his samurai-like upbringing, which makes sense – those old-fashioned traits are the most attention-grabbing things about him, and it’s entirely plausible that someone who was brought up within an Edo-period lifestyle would struggle to function among ordinary people in the wider world. However, Kohaku proves that this cannot be the full explanation for his oddness. He, too, was brought up in an extremely old-fashioned way, but A Dark Night’s Passing shows that he finds Souma just as eccentric as every other character does – he’s flummoxed when Souma immediately believes he’s a villain, and is confused by both his seppuku routine and his pride at being called a samurai. Even if their deviation in behaviour can be explained by Souma having a better reason to keep the old ways, Kohaku would presumably have a lot of experience dealing with highly traditional people like him among his family. There’s something else going on here.

I argue here that Souma should be considered an autistic character. Almost all of his eccentricities, beyond those that are clearly _also_ influenced by his family, are typical of autistic people. And when he is compared to a list of typical autistic traits, we can find examples of almost all of them.

To make it clear, I am not suggesting that Akira intentionally wrote him (or any of the other autistic-coded characters within Ensemble Stars!) to be an autistic character. Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder is very low within Japan, and I have seen no reason yet to believe Akira is an exception here. But autistic people exist in the world whether they are diagnosed or not, and whether they are understood by the people viewing them to be autistic or not. Fictional characters are invented within the bounds of what we know humans to be capable of in the real world – even abnormal ones are inspired by eccentrics we know to exist in reality. I believe that Souma was based on a fictional archetype which exists due to real-life autistic people.

To argue this, I will divide my points into two main headings, as the DSM V does – social communication and restricted/repetitive patterns. However, I will not organise this meta under the DSM’s subheadings, as they are deliberately vague and not particularly helpful for specific projects such as this one. Instead, I will follow smoothly through a number of typical autistic traits that come under that heading adding in associated DSM V quotes, and will discuss their relevance to Souma complete with examples or counter-examples.

Finally, I will end this introduction with a quick overview of autism for those who are not especially familiar with it already. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with a wide range of symptoms that can vary greatly in intensity. The most common symptoms involve social communication deficits, repetitive/restrictive behaviour, and unique sensory sensitivities. It is much more often diagnosed in young boys, but as our knowledge grows it is now believed that girls and adults are underdiagnosed. Modest estimates claim 1-2% of the population is autistic, although some countries report far higher percentages. There is no way to treat autistic symptoms with medication. Instead, autism should be treated as a different ‘neurotype’ - an alternate kind of brain that has different needs, strengths, and weaknesses that should be respected equally. People who are not autistic are described as ‘allistic.’ People who possess any kind of unusual neurotype (including ASD, ADHD, OCD, BPD etc.) are ‘neurodivergent’, while the majority of the world are ‘neurotypical.’ And when I say ‘DSM V,’ I refer to the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,’ volume 5, which is the current most widely-accepted psychiatric description of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

### Social Communication

Like most autistic people, Souma often struggles to perfectly communicate with others around him. Sometimes this deficit is less obvious or doesn’t get in the way of his interactions, but sometimes it’s very plain and causes real conflict within his relationships. This general difficulty is explicitly stated in Meikyoushisui: when Natsume criticises Souma’s souvenirs as not being very thoughtful, Souma agrees, and admits to worrying that his inability to interact easily with others leads to him acting inconsiderately: _“I do think that I’ve always been lacking in that aspect. I want to be a little more thoughtful in future. I want to be good at choosing stylish souvenirs and mixing in jokes and puns in conversations.”_ (Meikyoushisui, chapter 2). However, as Natsume himself states at the end of the story, it isn’t that Souma is unkind – on the contrary, he shows great compassion and generosity towards others. He just struggles to communicate in the same way that other people do.

One of his most obvious and consistent autistic traits is a difficulty with reading nonverbal communication – or as the DSM V says, ‘deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction.’ Across many stories, Souma very often fails to ‘read the room’ and takes on in inappropriate emotional tone, not realising until he’s explicitly told that others are reacting differently – as Souma himself says, _“I am a boorish fellow, so I do not understand the subtleties of the heart.”_ (Tsukimi Live, Love and the Dawn 2) In particular, he often completely fails to react when Keito glares at him, even though he typically responds very badly when Keito openly scolds him. For a great example of this, see this exchange from Scroll of the Elements – in his determination to reach the live venue, he forgets that he’s riding on a horse, and so completely misinterprets Keito’s shocked reaction:

> **Keito:** A hooooorse!? Ka-Kaka-Kanzaki!? You! Ahh! I, of all people, cannot find the words!  
>  **Souma:** What’s wrong, Hasumi-dono! Calm down, we are within the castle! With the big stage before you, are you nervous? Even you have an artless side to you, Hasumi-dono! ♪  
>  (Scroll of the Elements, Signs of the Coming Storm 1)

By far the best demonstrations of this non-verbal difficulty come from Crossroad, which makes sense – at the time, Souma was new to Yumenosaki and therefore even more lacking in social context than he is in more current stories. He wasn’t familiar with the delinquent trope Kuro was embodying at the time, and so he missed out on those cultural cues to his demeanour. Worst of all, since he was unfamiliar with modern-day speech, he couldn’t understand his speech very well, either. More than any other time, he was forced to rely primarily on body language to understand Kuro, and that makes it all the clearer how little he understands of it:

> **Souma:** Prithee, good sir. Are you all right?  
>  **Kuro:** ... Huh? Who the hell are you? Who said you could talk to me?  
>  **Souma:** My apologies. You were kneeling down, so I wondered if you were unwell.  
>  […]  
>  **Souma:** You are a strapping gentleman... However, sitting like that in the street is not proper manners, even if ‘tis to rest. There was a benchii [bench] over there; shall I accompany you to it?  
>  **Kuro:** What’s with you? Don’t get in my business... It’s annoyin’; leave me alone.  
>  **Souma:** Haha. My deepest apologies. I am oft scolded and told to better learn how to take a hint. However, this time it seems it was merely my fears were unfounded... It is simply that, if you truly were unwell, then I could not simply overlook it; that is contrary to righteousness. Do you not think so as well, Sir?  
>  **Kuro:** Am I not makin’ it clear that I’m telling you to shut up and stop talkin’ to me? Huh?  
>  **Souma:** Haha, your manner of speech is in a form I am not familiar with and so your intentions do not come across clearly ♪  
>  \- (Crossroad, Chaos 3-4)

...and this is just the first half of their conversation – even after talking to him at length Souma never picked up that Kuro wanted him to leave. Furthermore, even years after that first meeting Souma never properly understands why Kuro is considered scary to others – in his words, _“To me, Kiryuu-dono is always reliable and respectable,”_ so he can’t imagine him acting out and doing the wrong thing, or why others might suspect him of bad behaviour. (Cats and the Camellia Train, Chapter 2) It’s not that he just doesn’t know how delinquents look, he simply doesn’t understand at all how someone’s appearance or bearing could give off that sort of impression.

However, even with less of a language barrier, Souma still often fails to understand communication unless it is made very explicit. Later in Crossroad, a similar situation erupts, when Kaoru mistakes Souma for a girl and briefly approaches him, only to turn away when he realises he’s a boy. Though his flippant remarks make it pretty clear what’s going on, it still takes several responses from Kaoru for Souma to realise he’s being blown off. Up until that point, he continually tries to be friendly with him, assuming that he was the one to act strangely without realising it, until he finally becomes frustrated by Kaoru’s unwillingness to explain Souma’s mistake.

> **Kaoru:** (*sniff sniff*... This scent can only be from someone who carefully washes their hair every day. If I were to guess, it’d belong to a neat, Japanese, black-haired beauty ♪)  
>  **Souma:** ...? Who are you?  
>  **Kaoru:** Aw man~ It’s a guy~...? Has my sense of smell gone bad, too?  
>  **Souma:** W-Why exactly are you so blatantly disappointed? What is the matter? Your complexion does not seem to be well.. This is quite an awful crowd. Are you feeling unwell, by any chance? If you would like, I shall guide you outside ♪  
>  **Kaoru:** Ah~ Sorry, but could you not talk to me? While it’s true I’m not feeling great, it’s because my expectations of having a lovely encounter were betrayed, you feel~?  
>  **Souma:** Hm? What do you mean, perchance? Explain it in a manner that I may understand! Have I acted in some odd manner once again? Is that why you consider me an unpleasant sight?  
>  **Kaoru:** Eh, why are you pushing yourself towards me... I don’t have any interest in guys, so come back after you die and reincarnate as a beautiful girl, okay? Bye-by~e ♪  
>  **Souma:** Y-You were the one who approached me, were you not?! Your impudence is far too great, you ill-bred man!  
>  (Crossroad, Chaos 5)

This difficulty has plagued Souma for a long time, and is implied to stopped him from making any proper friends as a child. Even later in Crossroad, he states that he attended a public school before Yumenosaki, and yet he shows barely any modern-day knowledge or social ability he should have been expected to gain from that. Only when Keito tells him outright in this scene that most people find swords scary does first-year high schooler Souma make that connection: _“Hm. I have been getting the feeling that others have been avoiding me; so it was due to my sword. The suspicions I have held for many years are finally made clear. It appears sharp blades are fearsome objects.”_ (Crossroad, Curse 1)

Later in the timeline, Souma becomes a bit better at interpreting the people around him, but he still often fails to instinctively understand other people’s emotions. For example, though he knows intellectually that other people find his sword scary, he doesn’t always recognise when that’s happening. In Summer Nights Fes chapter 2, when Hajime and Tomoya come across him they glance down at his sword nervously. Souma assumes this means that they’re curious about it, and encourages them to have a look: _“Hmm, are you staring at my sword? Is that something that interests you? I can lend it to you if you’d like, but do be careful, as it is very sharp. If you accidentally drop it, you could easily slice your arm off…”_ This scares them both even more, and this more extreme reaction (and Hajime begging him not to say ‘such scary things’) finally clarifies for Souma how they’re feeling. Similarly, in Meikyoushisui chapter 2 Souma says he noticed that Adonis and Kouga seemed _“somewhat vague”_ when he gave them their souvenir presents, but did not consider that they might not have liked them until Natsume bluntly criticised the present.

However, it is worth making clear as counterpoint that Souma is not uniformly oblivious to other characters’ reactions. In Tsukimi and Summer Nights, Souma takes special notice that Tomoya and Hajime respectively seem a little sad, and pays extra attention to them after that to try and work out what’s wrong. And there are many other examples of him noticing Keito’s glaring perfectly fine, or otherwise responding to situations appropriately. This is totally normal. For his skill level to be classified as typical of autistics, he does not have to be completely lacking any ability whatsoever to understand non-verbal communication – it’s enough that he has a notable deficit compared to most people. That deficit is certainly exhibited on enough occasions to qualify.

Another trait well-known to be common of autistic people is of being overly literal. In most examples within popular culture, this is expressed in a rather simplistic way, via the character being easily confused by common sayings or rhetorical language. Souma never really acts that way, which lead me for a while to believe that he didn’t possess this trait at all. (The closest example would come from Colourful Autumn chapter 5, when Kanata tells him to take _“deep breaths”_ and imagine himself “ _floating in the sea,”_ but Souma misinterprets that as an instruction to do both simultaneously – i.e., to imagine he’s trying to breathe while drowning underwater.) However, that is not the only way a mind can be overly literal. More broadly, it relates to a difficulty processing that words can have multiple meanings, such as in figurative language or dual-meaning jokes. Souma certainly does display these traits.

As already mentioned above, Souma says in Meikyoushisui that he feels bad because he can’t easily joke around with his fellow students. This is accurate – over his stories, Souma very rarely tells jokes, and those he does make tend to be pretty brief and unoriginal. In that same story, he decides to try and rectify this by asking Subaru and Makoto to teach him how to tell jokes. Makoto sets him up with a very obvious and well-known pun (‘real Japanese sword’ is read in Japanese as ‘hontou ni nihon tou’), but even though he himself asked to be given a set-up he still responds to Makoto’s words literally:

> **Makoto:** Ahh, this is bad. It’s not like I think about performing manzai on a regular basis. Even if you suddenly tell me to do manzai… Uhh… Ah. Kanzaki-kun, is the sword you’re always carrying around “a real Japanese sword”?  
>  **Souma:** Yes. This sword has been passed down from generation to generation in the Kanzaki family. The blade pattern is irregular…  
>  **Makoto:** No, that’s not it! “Is. It. A. Real. Japanese. One?”  
>  **Souma:** That’s what I just said?  
>  **Makoto:** Not that. You should have said “The heck’s up with that pun?!” as the tsukkomi.  
>  **Souma:** … “The heck’s up with that pun?!”  
>  **Makoto:** You’re late! You’re too late!  
>  (Meikyoushisui, chapter 4)

He likely misunderstood the expectations of manzai skit comedy, but he also didn’t even try to make a joke. When Makoto gave him the set-up, he simply answered as though it were a normal question.

Similarly, there are a few times when Adonis asks rhetorical questions around him, and Souma responds as though Adonis is sincerely asking him. Take Greek Legends chapter 1 when Adonis wonders aloud whether they’ll make it to the cafeteria in time and Souma seriously responds _“I would not know that.”_ This may help explain why he is unusually grumbly whenever Adonis asks him questions, even though he insists that he’s always happy to help him – he feels a duty to respond to every question, regardless of whether it’s possible for him to know the answer or not.

However, an even bigger and more subtle way Souma displays an overly literal mind comes from the way he interprets instructions. Over and over, it’s very common for Souma to miss some intended nuance, following the letter of the order but fulfilling it in an unexpected way by missing some seemingly obvious context. This is all also very common among autistic people, who might not have the same expectations as an allistic person and so come to the ‘wrong’ conclusions when given unclear directions. This is demonstrated most obviously in Flower Festival – once again, Souma seems more obviously neurodivergent in these earlier stories, when he had less support and there were a lot more external stressors inhibiting his masking.

Early on, Kuro asks Souma to bring Anzu to see him, so he physically picks her up and takes her, presuming that will be the fastest way. When Kuro scolds him for treating a girl roughly, Souma finally realises that she looks dizzy, and sincerely apologises for being ‘thoughtless’ again. When Kuro tells him to put her down, Souma immediately does carefully put her on the floor, leading to this exchange:

> **Kuro:** Hmm... y'know, you always carry out whatever you're told to do perfectly, but… Can't you do anything without somebody tellin' you what to do? You should try to think and decide things usin' your own head.  
>  **Souma:** Yes! I shall do my best! I can do anything if I put my mind to it! ♪  
>  **Kuro:** Well, at least your responses are always top notch. Jeez, I feel like I'm babysittin' or something.  
>  (The Flag’s Honour * Flower Festival, Refuge 1)

Souma knows the correct words to say and is able to repeat them when prompted, but when he is asked to complete a task that involves more judgement on his part, it becomes clear that he doesn’t always think in the same way that the neurotypical characters would.

This becomes even clearer a little later in the story. Kuro leaves to do other things, and when Keito comes back, he finds Souma drenched with sweat, and Souma says that he has been dancing. When Keito asks incredulously how long he’s been doing that for:

> **Souma:** Hmm? Err... around six hours, perhaps? Kiryuu-dono had told me to "dance"… But he did not tell me it was alright to stop! I lost track of the time, therefore missing my opportunity to pause my ressuns and rest! ♪  
>  **Keito:** You're so... your simple honesty isn't a bad thing, so I won't lecture you… But now I completely understand that saying anything to you is like water off a duck's back.  
>  **Souma:** But I listen to what you say, Hasumi-dono!  
>  **Keito:** All you do is listen — try to at least comprehend and think with your own head… There's no point in lecturing you, how incorrigible. Overwork can be the cause of failure, so make sure you take adequate breaks in between.  
>  **Souma:** Yes, I understand! But something like this is not a problem for me at all! At this rate, I believe it is possible for me to continue dancing for another three days and three nights without sleep or rest! ♪  
>  (The Flag’s Honour * Flower Festival, Brood Parasite 2)

Souma’s willingness to dance for three days straight definitely demonstrates a lot of things – his extreme eagerness to please his sempais, for one, and his superhuman level of fitness for another. However, the assumption that since Kuro did not tell him to stop, he wasn’t supposed to, rather than assuming from the outset that Kuro would only ask him to dance for a typical length of time, is very demonstrative of his overly literal understanding of his sempais’ words.

While these examples are from relatively early in the timeline, A Dark Night’s Passing proves that Souma still has trouble with this even into his third year, too. When Madara tells him that Kohaku is plotting something evil and that the ‘villains’ need to run, Souma trusts him immediately despite all evidence to the contrary, to Kohaku’s frustration - _“Ya dolt, are yer eyes just fer show or what!? I’m the one who needs rescuin’ here! Can’tcha see I’m bein’ abducted by this moron who’s carryin’ me on his shoulders!?”_ (Mikejima Madara’s Feature on the Front Stage 4) Even after so long, he still relies heavily on explicit language, and finds it difficult to apply his own judgement to orders.

His overly literal understanding of words can also sometimes lead to him missing an emotional nuance in what he’s saying, leading to him coming across as unintentionally blunt and insulting. It’s quite obvious when this is happening because Souma’s speech and demeanour is normally so thoroughly polite and respectful (unless he is speaking to Kaoru, anyway, when all bets are off). There are many occasions in which he refers to Keito’s relative lack of fitness compared to him and Kuro in a way that comes off as quite rude, which is obviously unintentional given that Souma is always extremely respectful to Keito:

> **Souma:** There is no need for apologies! I am just worried that you will fall ill from working too hard... in fact, you do not look very well right now — are you feeling alright? You are rather weak compared to us, after all! (The Flag’s Honour * Flower Festival, Brood Parasite 2)

> **Souma:** Is that so…I did not expect you to be on the verge of death by running around to this level. It appears I must treat you gently, like a lady who has been locked up in a room. (Fresh Green Martial Artists, Individual Training 3)

On the other hand, Souma seems to appreciate when other characters are blunt with him. When Natsume tells him in Meikyoushisui chapter 2 that his souvenir comes across as thoughtless, Anzu accuses him of being unkind, but Souma says that he doesn’t mind since he agrees with Natsume and did not understand Adonis and Kouga’s vague responses. Similarly, he always listens attentively when his sempais scold him for acting incorrectly. That Keito is so fond of giving lectures might well be one of the reasons why Souma became so attached to him so quickly to begin with – to him, Keito was easy to understand because he was always verbally clear with him, and Souma would better learn how to be less ‘thoughtless’ with other people as well. Indeed, in the same scene during his first year that Keito tells him about the sword, he also snaps at Souma to knock before entering a room, and Souma responds gratefully - _“Ah, so that is the proper etiquette. That was insolent of myself. I deeply apologize.”_ (Crossroad, Curse 1)

However, Keito ultimately wasn’t always honest and clear with him, which brings us to our next point – due to the above difficulties, Souma is consistently very bad at telling when other characters are lying to him or trying to trick him. He tends to instinctively trust that what other people say is true, and once he’s decided he likes someone, it’s extremely hard to convince him that that person may have ill intent. In Meikyoushisui, when Natsume tries to sell him some obvious scam goods, even when Subaru outright tells Souma repeatedly that he’s tricking him and not to trust him, Souma still can’t decide who to believe (chapters 5-6). He is then also easily drawn into Natsume’s hypnosis, despite admitting to not liking fortune telling in general. In fact, that’s not even the only time Souma is hypnotised – in Quarrel Fes as well, Wataru barely has to dangle a pendulum in front of him before he’s taken him completely under his spell. In that case, he says that his hypnosis rarely works in Yumenosaki because most of the students are of strong character, whereas _“this child seems altogether quite simple and honest, or, shall I say, simply simple~♪ Curiously, he seems quite vulnerable to hypnosis.”_ (Quarrel Fes, The Tyrant’s Decree 2)

After the successful hypnosis, Natsume is even a bit disturbed by how easily Souma fell prey to his tactics, even though Natsume had still been pretty hostile to Souma at the beginning of this story and still has reason to dislike him.

> **Natsume:** Hmm. But you’re too trustING; it’d be better if you were a little more suspicious of peoPLE. That’s why you get teased by ME, you know.  
>  **Souma:** Ugh… I’ll be careful about that.  
>  (Meikyoushisui, chapter 7)

However, a moment later Souma catches on to Natsume’s tsundere act and declares that he is actually a kind person, and we get this:

> **Natsume:** Hold on. I’ve told you just nOW, right? You need to be more suspicious of peoPLE. I’m a liAR. All the things that I’ve said to Souma-kun may be LIES, you know?  
>  **Souma:** But Sakasaki-dono, you also said that it’s up to me whether to believe it or not. Then, I believe that Sakasaki-dono is not lying♪ I want to believe that.  
>  (Meikyoushisui, chapter 7)

In Coloured Flower Cards, when Keito decides to trick Souma into finding a fake card so he can avoid telling him an unpleasant story from before he joined Akatsuki, he and Kuro worry about this as well.

> **Kuro:** Since Kanzaki doesn’t know of the real card that’s missing, if you hand this to him as the real deal, then he probably wouldn’t doubt you. That guy – even if it’s a downright lie, he’ll immediately believe it. Especially if it’s coming from you.  
>  **Keito:** Yes. Sometimes I worry. Whether he’ll be okay or not, or whether he’s being deceived by bad guys?  
>  (Coloured Flower Cards, Superficial Dreaming 6)

Later, Keito decides to admit the truth to Souma and tell him that sad Akatsuki story. He says that it was foolish of him to try and hide it - _“You’re a good kid who’s pure and reckless, and who genuinely believes the words of others, but you’re not stupid.”_ (epilogue 2)

It’s genuinely a heart-warming moment between then, but it also sort of throws a rug over a very real and negative aspect of their history together – Keito did take advantage of him. The irony is that the bad guys who deceived him were Kuro and Keito.

I do not have the space here to analyise in depth every aspect of Souma’s actions or history, so I will not linger too long on the subject of his relationship with Akatsuki. I also have no desire to deny Souma’s agency in approaching Akatsuki and remaining with them – in fact, I will explore the nature of his own culpability later on in this meta. However, the nature of Souma’s relationships _is_ relevant to this meta – it demonstrates the kind and impact of his communication styles, and the DSM lists ‘Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships’ among symptoms. And indeed, Souma has an extensive history of one-sided relationships in which he gives a great deal of his time and effort to receive very little back, for characters who might not even consider him a friend.

At this point, it’s probably worth making it explicitly clear that not all autistic people are susceptible to lying or one-sided relationships, in the same way that not all autistic people prefer order or dislike loud sounds. ASD is, as the name suggests, a spectrum, and each trait can occur on a wide spectrum of intensity. However, each of these traits are more common in autistic people than they are among allistics. To presume that it’s inherently childish to have trouble noticing when others are lying is insulting to the many autistic adults who have this trait and deal with it based on their adult experience and understanding. I do not discuss these traits to infantilise Souma – quite the opposite, I wish to show that there are many other young adults who also exhibit these traits and that Souma is no exception.

With that out of the way, Souma on a number of occasions displays a misunderstanding of mutual, back and forth relationships. With Keito, he initially becomes attached to him based on…well, almost no actions on Keito’s part whatsoever – for a long period of time, he’s little more than confused and even irritated by Souma’s pushiness towards him, and doesn’t show Souma any particular attention outside of scolding him for breaking rules. (Though, as stated above, Souma might have found that genuinely helpful.) At best, he compliments his diligence, but even when he does this in Crossroad (Curse 1-2) he gives no indication of any personal affectionate interest in Souma. However, even though Keito makes it clear there’s all but zero benefit to joining Akatsuki – they won’t even do many idol activities, which Souma went so far as to defy his beloved family to come to Yumenosaki to take part in – Souma still insists on joining him. Even Souma can’t explain why he feels so strongly: _“I admit I am saying this based on instinct, so I cannot lay down my justifications the way you do, Hasumi-dono, however—I desire to be under Akatsuki’s tutelage.”_ (Shinsengumi, Monologue 2) It feels very much as though Souma developed positive feelings towards him, and so imagined a friendship that simply wasn’t there yet. Honestly, this particular plot point is much harder to understand if Souma isn’t autistic. (Though even if he is, it’s admittedly still very under-explored by Akira.)

From that point onwards, the Keito+Souma relationship continues to be defined by Souma putting great time and effort into serving Keito with very little expectation of anything in return. Again, Shinsengumi demonstrates Souma’s extreme submissiveness best, and while Souma’s samurai-like upbringing very clearly impacts the way he views their relationship, his unquestioning acceptance of that role is all his own:

> **Souma:** As we have said before, do not be so distant, Hasumi-dono. If you’ll have me, then by all means, work me as you need. That is bliss to me – nay, my pride as a samurai. To be of service to my esteemed lord and act as his arms and legs is my joy. Do not hold back. Let us split the burdens and shoulder them together… Hasumi-dono.  
>  **Keito:** ...you really are a good kid. Ah, not that – I’m glad to have you, Kanzaki.  
>  (Shinsengumi, The Revolutionary Ogre 1)

By contrast, examples of Souma requesting help of others for his own problems (the way he so often berates Kanata and Keito for not doing) are extremely hard to find. In Cats and the Camellia Train he asks Kuro and Keito to put on a live he wanted to do, but this was just as much about helping Arashi and the cafe owners of the cat he had become attached to. And in After the Summer Rain, when he does become troubled by a family matter, he doesn’t speak to anyone of it at all – in fact, he stops communicating with Anzu until he can resolve it himself, and only explains the matter to Keito after he confronts him directly over his silence. There is only one potential counter-example: in Scroll of the Elements, it is revealed that Souma parents did not initially approve of his becoming an idol, and only changed their mind once Kuro, Keito, and Anzu came to his house to speak to them. However, we do not know how this came to happen. Did Souma request their help, or did they insist on stepping in themselves (something Souma would surely feel unable to refuse)?

There are a great many stories in which Kuro and Keito express worry about Souma’s relationship to them, but in most (particularly the early ones) this is described as dependence, and they appear more concerned about his resulting lack of ability. Only in Tsukimi does Kuro finally acknowledge what has been true from the very beginning: Souma almost never actually asks them for anything.

> **Kuro:** You’re always compliant about following my orders, but if you’re ever frustrated, let me know. Hasumi and I both like taking care of others, so if someone’s too good, it actually makes us feel unsatisfied.  
>  **Souma:** Hm? But I truly, really...do not have any complaints? I am fulfilled. Compared to last year—this is the difference between heaven and hell.  
>  (Tsukimi Live, Wings and the Mooon 3)

The reference to ‘last year’ is telling. Souma did disobey Keito then, when extreme external factors left him feeling he had no choice. Keito then blew up at him, accusing him at great length of feigning his loyalty and being ‘useless’ to him, and verbally attacking his entire family and belief system. While Keito claims he was simply trying to keep Souma away for his own protection, Souma clearly believed every word Keito said. (Meteor Impact) This very likely also influences the unhealthiness of Souma’s devotion, and should not be overlooked as a factor.

Keito is not the only character Souma is willing to work so one-sidedly for. He’s willing to do almost anything for Kanata’s sake as well – as he says in Colourful Autumn chapter 5, _“Buchou-dono, should you be in a dilemma, even if I will overcome mountains of bodies and streams of blood, I shall hasten to join you immediately!”_ Meanwhile, Kanata is often rather cold, and sometimes even harsh to Souma, something he readily admits in Scroll of the Elements. However, as with Keito, Kanata is also a bit of a special case – he may feel a lingering duty towards him given their shared history revealed in Meteor Impact, and possibly feels some guilt about being unable to protect him, on top of his often-stated gratitude at being taught the wonders of the ocean. To truly understand Souma’s understanding of mutual relationships, we must see how he acts towards someone he feels no guilt or obligation to.

Enter Meikyoushisui. Even though Souma and Natsume were initially quite hostile to each other due to their position on opposite sides of the war (as depicted in Natsume substory Coming From Afar), Souma happily buys him a souvenir to give him after he was left behind on the class trip. When Natsume is understandably bemused, as they had never actually interacted as friends up until this point, Souma is equally confused, as he believes it’s just what classmates are inherently supposed to do for one another. Though Natsume makes it clear he wouldn’t do the same for him (at least, up until the end of this story), Souma isn’t concerned at all – he feels a duty to do this for Natsume, and is happy to do so regardless of Natsume’s indifference to him.

There are a couple of times Souma does display some concern about a lack of mutuality. Purple Wisterias of Rain is the clearest example – he becomes deeply concerned that Kanata is treating him too coldly, and wishes he would open up to Souma the way he does to Madara. _“Captain-dono! Isn't that cold? Even like this, I'm still a member of the Marine Life Club!”_ (Prologue and Mini-Events) And in Tsukimi, Keito’s prioritisation of the student council over Akatsuki finally gets to him and he briefly admits to Kuro that he feels lonely. However, even these instances are in part motivated by a worry that the other party is refusing to let him help them with their problems – his prime concern is not his own feelings or well-being, but his usefulness. Though he first came to Yumenosaki on his own initiative in defiance of his gamily, whenever he states his goals they have always been to uplift and support others without the slightest care for his own idol ambitions. It is truly unfortunate that it took so long for Natsume to warm up to Souma – in Rocket Start, Natsume speaks to Subaru about this exact behaviour Souma regularly exhibits, warning Subaru that trying to be helpful to people who dislike and mistreat him will only lead to them taking advantage of him and will not make them his friends. As of the new timeline, it sadly appears that Souma still doesn’t quite understand this, yet.

Throughout this section, I have talked about Souma’s trusting and honest nature as though it were entirely a bad thing. Though Souma’s difficulties with communication certainly have impacted his relationships negatively at various times, his kindness and persistence have also won him friends he might not otherwise have made. Both Natsume and Keito did change their minds on him when they realised his sincerity, and each were extremely touched by Souma’s desire to make friends even when they weren’t acting at their best - _“You see, I’m pretty much a lIAR. There are also people who dislike talking with ME. Despite tHAT, Souma-kun, aren’t you still willingly listening and talking to ME? Isn’t that kind of attitude more valuable than being eloquent in speakING?”_ (Meikyoushisui, chapter 7) He may not have so easily and quickly made friends with Adonis, either, if not for his straightforward demeanour, and neither would he have been able to confront Kanata directly and tell him it’s okay for him to rely on his friends in Aquarium, a lesson he dearly needed to hear. Most of all, if not for Souma’s pure-hearted belief in Akatsuki, Kuro and Keito would not have been driven to improve themselves and become the good people he believed them to be. The good and noble Akatsuki which strives to bring joy to people around the world with their music would not exist.

In truth, one of Souma’s greatest qualities is his compassion. This is made clear very recently in A Dark Night’s Passing – though he is initially righteously angered when Madara declares that he and Kohaku are villains plotting evil, once Madara admits the truth he apologises earnestly. Though Akatsuki and Souma himself suffered as a result of Crazy:B’s actions, he holds no lingering resentment whatsoever, trusting that they were merely used as puppets, just as much a victim as he himself was. His kindness is enough to render Kohaku speechless, and it’s all he can do to remark that the world would be a better place if more people were like him.

> **Kohaku:** Bein’ treated that way by someone I caked in mud myself just makes me feel at a loss fer what to do.  
>  **Souma:** Hum? Did I perhaps do something peculiar again?  
>  **Kohaku:** Not at all. If everyone’s eyes were as unclouded as yours… Then this world would be a lil’ easier for folks like us to live in.  
>  (A Dark Night’s Passing, Mikejima Madara’s Feature on the Front Stage 4)

For one final point on this subject, just as Souma tends to be overly trusting of other people, there is also a running thread of him being quite susceptible to advertising. In Class Live, while wondering whether or not to visit a restaurant, he notices of the brochure _“since it says I’d miss out if I don’t go, it might be a good idea to go there if I can.”_ (Epilogue), taking it as a granted that what’s said in the brochure is objectively correct. Likewise, in Chocofes he states that he bought chocolates for his friends because he saw a sign in a shop telling him to, as though he perceived it as an order and not an overblown suggestion from an advertiser (Prologue).

Like many autistic people who struggle with social interaction, Souma gets along very well with animals, as he may find them easier to understand than other humans. In Scroll of the Elements, he states that he grew up alongside a pet horse named Saigoudon, speaking of it as though the horse were another brother of his. In Palace of the Ocean, we are of course introduced to Kamegorou, a turtle kept in the Marine Bio Clubroom who Souma became quickly very attached to, so much so that he secretly gave him a name even though he believed Kanata would disapprove of him doing so. And in multiple stories he displays a fondness for cats – it’s most obvious in Camellia Train, when he is very happy to visit the cat cafe Arashi likes to visit but becomes especially attached to a stray cat he finds wandering the grounds, so much so that he begins treating it like a pet almost immediately, but it also comes up in his Feature Scout idol story After The Summer Rain when he tells Anzu he likes a particular fur fabric she’s chosen because touching it feels very much like patting a kitty cat. It goes without saying of course that his attraction to the Marine Bio Club in the first place also demonstrates his penchant for animals – he was initially interested because he was so deeply moved by a video he was shown about endangered sea turtles. (Palace of the Ocean, chapter 2)

Finally, I’ll end this section on social communication by talking about one more thing – Souma’s use of language. Unusual language usage is also very common among autistics, whether that be through overly formal or childish speech, lack of inflection, or any other kind of idiosyncrasie. Souma’s old-fashioned samurai speech is certainly imposed by his family and not necessarily in itself relevant to this point. However, his consistently very formal language is not uncommon among autistics. In his first Idol Story he makes it clear that he is aware that he does this and that others find it strange and overly distant, but he doesn’t know how to correct the _“air of superiority”_ he garners as a result, or how to speak more casually. Keep In Character! is even more instructive – in that story, while Souma is perfectly happy to act the role of a noble young European lady, it’s stated that he _“couldn’t get the hang of feminine speech no matter what he tried,”_ even though it means that he acts the role in a totally inappropriate and jarring dialect (Keep In Character!, epilogue 1). This implies that Souma’s unusual speech really is inherent to the way he talks and not merely something he consciously takes on to appease his family.

Overall, Souma consistently displays communications patterns that are uncommon and strange for allistics, but very normal among autistic people. Viewing him as autistic not only leads to a better understanding of why he acts this way, but in some cases it actually leads to his textual behaviour making more sense than if he was presumed to have an allistic neurotype.

### Restricted/Repetitive Patterns

The next section of this meta refers to the second part of the DSM V’s criteria, referring to a tendency to prefer order and repetition over the novel and unpredictable – that described in the DSM as ‘Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior.’ Souma certainly displays this as a character – he is very concerned with rules and order, and though he doesn’t often enforce those rules onto other characters, he strives hard to follow them himself and tends to be quite distressed when he cannot. His extreme dedication to fulfilling his family’s expectations by acting as a typical samurai is a very clear example, and is a role he takes joy in satisfying – in A Dark Night’s Passing, after Souma makes a typical offer to commit seppuku in apology, we get this exchange with Kohaku:

> **Kohaku:** Yeah no, don’t. This ain’t nothin’ to commit seppuku over. What kinda samurai of yesteryear are you?  
>  **Souma:** Fufun, I am often told that ♪  
>  **Kohaku:** Why’re you so proud of that. Are ya happy to be called a samurai, or what?  
>  (A Dark Night’s Passing, Mikejima Madara’s Feature on the Front Stage 5)

He also pays a great deal of attention to expected social rules. The way he treats others is very consistent – he is highly respectful to his sempais, speaks formally but with less respect to his peers, and is polite but takes a superior position with his kouhais. This continues in how he refers to other people – sempais are ‘surname-’ or ‘title-’dono, peers are also ‘surname’-dono, and kouhais are ‘surname’. There are only two exceptions – Adonis is consistently ‘Adonis-dono’ right from their very first meeting (perhaps Souma thinks of him internally as the ‘best friend’, and therefore different rules apply to him?) and in A Dark Night’s Passing, he refers to Kohaku as ‘Oukawa-dono’, likely in respect of his more traditional abilities. (While Souma often refers to Kaoru with insulting terms, whenever he uses his name he calls him ‘Hakaze-dono’ as would be expected.)

He also takes seriously traditional rules regarding gender – as Adonis states in Greek Legends, _“You would not sit with a girl since you were seven, and, usually you avoid contact with girls, don't you.”_ (Chapter 1) However, he does not attempt to force these norms onto other people – when Anzu displays ‘unladylike’ behaviour in Quarrel Fes, he is instantly quite flustered, but backs down the second Anzu pushes back at his stuffiness. (Epilogue 1) He also never indicates any negative reaction whatsoever to Arashi’s feminine gender expression, and feels no hesitation acting in a female role himself in Keep In Character! In other words, he tries to follow those rules merely because they are rules, and not because he himself holds any closed-minded ideas about gender.

Likewise, he tends to pay a great deal of attention to school rules and is reluctant to break them, even when it’s clearly justified. In Purple Wisterias of May, he rejects Kanata’s request that he sign off on club documents on his behalf, not because he cannot do it, but because the rules say it’s Kanata’s job: _“No, no, it isn't logical if I do it! Budget reports are important, so I need Captain-dono to thoroughly check everything!”_ (Prologue) Also consider Quarrel Fes, in which Keito becomes so shocked when he encounters a particular document (the missive from Eichi ordering Akatsuki to disband) that he ceases speaking. Souma immediately picks him up princess style to take him to Kuro, leading to this exchange:

> **Kuro:** Humm. Those papers must have something really shocking in them. Just what the hell did he see, Boss Hasumi......? Those papers, do you have them now?  
>  **Souma:** Ah, it is prohibited to take papers outside the student council room, so…? Please wait, I shall go fetch them immediately! If it becomes a problem later, then I have resolved myself to bravely commit seppuku!  
>  (Quarrel Fes prologue 2 – rules)

(Kuro rejects Souma’s offer and simply asks Keito about it directly instead.)

Then there are his hobbies. It’s common for autistic people to prefer more quiet, repetitive pasttimes than allistics, and in particular to enjoy activities which might be viewed as ‘tedious’ to neurotypicals. Basically all of Souma’s hobbies fit this pattern – he enjoys calligraphy, tea ceremony, cooking, exercising, practicing martial arts (such as counting sword swings), and taking care of fish. His traditional arts in particular largely amount to repeating the same actions over and over in order to perfect them, which makes them wonderful autistic hobbies – and as tea ceremony also involves extremely specific, highly-scripted greetings and practised remarks, it’s also the perfect practice for a person who may have difficulty with social communication of the like described in the first section. In each of these, Souma’s patience and diligence have been great assets, and he boasts very impressive talent in a wide variety of arts. (Counterpoint to the above: in Tanabata, he states that he was happy to jog with Adonis because only doing sword swings on his own was too tedious. However, this early story is the only time he complains about that, and jogging is hardly an especially engrossing task, either.)

As we can see, Souma has a great number of hobbies, and that in itself relates to his preference for order – he prefers to occupy his time in specific, ‘productive’ ways, rather than just hanging out freely. In Greek Legends chapter 1, he reveals his morning routine – after going jogging with Adonis, he cooks that day’s lunch and then practices martial arts for a little while, all before going to school every day. (Adonis is suitably impressed – jogging is all he does before school.) And in Underdoctor, when Kuro suggests that Akatsuki just hang out in town for the afternoon without any specific plan, Souma is skeptical, saying that he’s not very good at ‘doing whatever catches your interest’ casually, as he feels like he’s wasting time. (Chapter 6) On that note, also consider in Meikyoushisui chapter 5 when Souma says that he’d prefer receiving advice rather than having his fortune read because he’s _“not really good with unreliable things…”_ – he prefers things that are clear and straightforward and consistent.

For this reason, Souma tends to interact most smoothly with other characters who are similarly rules-conscious and predictable. Adonis and Shinobu are both polite, respectful, and earnest people who match well with Souma’s similar demeanour, while Keito’s strict focus on rules and order aligns him nicely with Souma’s values. On the other hand, he tends to be flustered easily by characters who are loud, unpredictable, or chaotic, or who routinely break the rules. Madara probably best encapsulates this – while Dark Night’s Passage makes it clear that Souma genuinely likes and respects him, he’s easily exhausted whenever they end up speaking to each other.

His colleagues in the Marine Bio Club also challenge Souma in different ways. Kaoru defies all of that which Souma values highest and the rules he tries to follow, outwardly claiming to be lazy and careless, and often skipping school and idol activities. Because Souma is very honest, it’s hard for him to see past Kaoru’s posturing and he often ends up riled up easily by Kaoru’s teasing. However, this is largely a reaction to Kaoru’s behaviour – when Kaoru acts more like the sempai Souma believes he ought to be, Souma becomes immediately much friendlier. (See, e.g., Billiards chapters 6-7) Also illustrative is one homescreen line, in which Souma declares with aplomb that even Kaoru can be taught discipline, so they should start with 100 sword swings apiece! In other words, while Souma genuinely wishes to have a positive relationship (and in fact speaks well of him to Anzu in Aquarium Hanging Out Together 1 and Aira in the second Main Story chapter 36), Kaoru’s breaking of rules (both those set by the school and those socially belonging to him as a sempai) leaves Souma frustrated and irritable.

Kanata on the other hand occupies a very complicated and unique position. Souma feels a special duty to be of service to him due to their family history, and his soothing demeanour can be a very welcome balm to Souma’s generally high tension levels. (See Colorful Autumn chapter 6, in which Souma misinterprets Kanata’s advice and becomes upset, only for Kanata to calm him down again immediately.) However, Kanata also acts in a strange and mysterious way – in fact, he is also extremely easily read as autistic. That mutual oddness can sometimes bring them together (see for example Crash Course or Souma’s 4th Management Story where they’re on remarkably similar wavelengths), but the fact that they are odd in different ways can also cause them to clash, as Souma struggles with communicating with someone who breaks all the rules he has learned when it comes to interacting with neurotypicals. For someone who vastly prefers consistency and clear language, Kanata’s typical vagueness can be very challenging.

Put together, Kaoru and Kanata’s whimsical natures can each fluster Souma like few others’, something which is best demonstrated in one of Kanata’s substories:

> **Kaoru:** Just calm down. You’re not going to last in the Marine Biology Club if you freak over Kanata-kun’s eccentric behaviour like this, you know~?  
>  [...]  
>  **Souma:** T-The upperclassmen of our school are…! How can they be so spontaneous!? My stomach has began to hurt!  
>  (Kanata Substory – Fruits of the Sea)

Alongside Souma’s preference for order also comes a dislike of change, and a difficulty dealing with it – or, as stated in the DSM as an example, ‘extreme distress at small changes.’ This is most obvious in his relationship with Kuro and Keito – he starts off as a junior learning from and obeying them, and struggles greatly to develop from that and become more independent and decisive. This is of great concern to Kuro and Keito, who often worry whether Souma will be able to take care of himself after they graduate, but typically Souma does not even acknowledge the subject, as though he is trying to ignore it entirely. When Kuro finally gets him to speak on it in Daikagura, it’s clear that Souma’s difficulty with change is the main problem:

> **Kuro:** Haha, I’m grateful that you feel that way. But remember that Hasumi—and I, too—might be absent because of sickness, or whatever other reasons, at times. Don’t assume that we’re always going to be fully prepared. I’m not going to say something ridiculous like, “learn to do absolutely everything,” but… ...We’re going to graduate, soon. It’s good to treasure the present, but remember to think about the future Akatsuki, as well.  
>  **Souma:** Uu-mu… Even if you say that, to me, the fact that Hasumi-dono and Kiryuu-dono exist is the same as the existence of the land and the sun in this world. I cannot imagine what it will be like when you are gone.  
>  (Daikagura, Stars of Hope 1)

This problem with change is also the likely reason behind Souma’s continued difficulty with technology. Souma is not adverse to technology or societal progression at all – in his first Idol Story, he talks at length about the need to keep up with the times ( _“If we remain secluded within our small island nation, we will not last.”_ ) and he’s always very happy and curious to learn about new things. He also tends to enjoy technology in small amounts, such as in Underdoctor when he’s genuinely excited to visit and arcade and try the games (until he learns that there’s no such thing as a swordfighting game, and that playing Mario Kart is very different to riding a horse) and have his first taste of boba.

However, he is consistently very bad at using a mobile phone – like Rei he can’t use kanji and so types entirely in hiragana, he often leaves his phone behind places, and he struggles to conduct simple operations such as sending a reply. In Colourful Autumn, Kanata sends him a message requesting his help, but he doesn’t receive it because he left his phone at home. Once he’s been retrieved by Anzu, he explains the problem thus: _“I am also told again and again by Hasumi-dono to be sure to carry it with me, however, no matter how I try, it simply slips my mind. There are many instances as well where I forget to turn on the power. As expected, it was an impossible demand to have me operate "digital" devices...!”_ (Chapter 5) In other words, the problem isn’t so much that he doesn’t know how to use phones, but that they require him to alter his life and habits around them, and he finds that extremely difficult.

Connected with the above, Souma also often demonstrates another common autistic trait – black and white thinking, or ‘rigid thinking patterns.’ While he’s very intelligent and capable of analysing many subjects with great insight, not to mention extremely knowledgeable about subjects such as the arts or military history, he also often demonstrates rather romanticised or demonising views on certain matters. When giving a moral judgement on something, he tends to be very all or nothing, seeing things as all good or all bad. For a simple example, see Tanabata in which Kaoru’s more practical (on cynical) views on marriage contrasts with Souma’s more optimistic and arguably naive understanding:

> **Kaoru:** And [Tanabata is] the only day that Orihime and Hikoboshi can enjoy a date in the Milky Way. Considering they can only meet once a year, it's a wonder they won't cheat on each other~  
>  **Souma:** Don’t mistake them for somebody as frivolous and thoughtless as you. Naturally, there is only one person in your lifetime that you dedicate to with your entire heart. Making an oath of fidelity, loving and devoting to one another – that is what marriage is all about.  
>  (Tanabata, chapter 3)

For another great overall example, take Greek Legends. When Souma falls ill, he is frustrated because he believes that this ‘weakness’ must be due to him failing in his physical training. After Adonis comments negatively about a tradition in his home country to ‘sweat out’ a fever by exercising it off, Souma latches onto his words immediately, and tries to follow that tradition himself. However, it exacerbates his sickness, leaving him bedridden. Afterwards, he explains his confusion – it’s hard for him to accept that exercising could be either good or bad depending on the context: _“Exercise is important to prevent against colds. However, exercising too much can also cause injury to your health, it seems? To me, that boundary seems uncertain... I do not understand it well.”_ (Greek Legends, chapter 3.) This difficulty with context and nuance is very strongly associated with autistics.

Said difficulty shows up in many different areas, with Souma displaying a particularly straightforward and ‘innocent’ perspective on many subjects, something which often has him associated with a child – as Natsume says, _“I just can’t believe how a high schooler has grown up with such purity.”_ (He doesn’t entirely mean it as a compliment – a moment later he compares Souma to a wild animal.) (Natsume substory Coming From Afar) He tends not to question common understandings of good and evil, viewing duty and order as inherent goods. As a result, he is very happy to be considered a ‘good boy’, and it takes a year of character development to admit outwardly that it’s okay to let down his guard and be selfish once in a while:

> **Kaoru:** Souma-kun, too—your household seems pretty strict, but you sometimes act like an idiot at school, you know? I think that’s a good thing. If you strain yourself all the time, you’ll end up breaking♪  
>  **Souma:** I haven’t acted like an idiot…but I do agree with you, mostly. If you stiffen your entire body, you will not float in water. Sometimes, you should just relax and let waves—let the flow of water carry you… is that right, Hakaze-dono?  
>  **Kaoru:** Right, right. Puka, puka, you know...?♪  
>  **Souma:** Puka puka...♪  
>  (Repayment Festival, Gift Through the Soul of Words 3)

However, even after that character development Souma still holds an extreme and inflexible understanding of his duties as a servant (or more specifically, something like a vassal to his Lord), and it’s with Keito that Souma’s black and white thinking becomes most clear and most concerning. In multiple stories, Souma speaks of Keito as though his actions are automatically and inherently just, as though he cannot imagine that his master could ever do something seriously wrong, even though he has personally seen evidence to the contrary. Again, Keito’s cruel behaviour towards him in Meteor Impact, already described above, is also a factor which cannot be ignored – it it is only natural he would be reluctant to ever question him again after having been punished so hurtfully for it back then. However, that Souma responded to this treatment by doubling down on acting as a ‘good servant’ also does speaks to this inflexibility of his, and this trait is a fundamental aspect of his character which has been present since day one of Ensemble Stars!, well before Meteor Impact was released.

I have already discussed earlier his tendency to form one-sided relationships, and everything described there applies here, too – Souma takes his relational duties very seriously, following them diligently regardless of any consequential benefit to himself. However, when it comes to those he considers his ‘masters’ - Keito, Kanata, and Anzu – his extreme servitude unbalances the relationship even further. Consider his scarily submissive behaviour to Kanata in Quarrel Fes, when he barely struggles against having his head held underwater: _“C-certainly, it was irritating that I vehemently pestered you, saying that I ‘wish for your divine punishment, Buchou-dono!’-- however! This treatment is unreasonable, I will surely die~!”_ (Quarrel Fes, The Tyrant’s Decree 4) When it comes to anyone he considers his ‘master’, he views it as inherently right and good for him to obey and endure anything they may wish of him – he is willing to register his unhappiness in especially difficult cases, but he will not attempt to escape the situation, instead merely requesting that his ‘master’ stops. In fact, on multiple occasions, he states he enjoys being harshly scolded by his masters, as he believes that is proof of their love and concern for him. Here is probably the mildest example:

> **Keito:** Sword? You fool, did you not hear I said? Every single time I've seen you, I'm sure I've given you lectures on not bringing items that aren't needed for your studies or idol activities.  
>  **Souma:** Indeed. I am thankful that you would care to scold me so directly. That shows just how deeply you are concerned about me. I am deeply moved.  
>  (Crossroad, Curse 1) 

These examples above indicate that Souma takes a very rigid and inflexible understanding of his duties as a servant, even when it hurts him.

However, unfortunately, he is not the only victim of his extreme thinking. In the Natsume substory Coming From Afar, when Natsume implicates him in the Student Council’s tyranny, Souma initially hesitates – he’s disturbed by the Student Council’s actions, too. Nevertheless, he protests Natsume’s attack on him, insisting that he himself is not a member of the student council, and therefore it is unreasonable to attack him. And yet he also admits that Akatsuki is _“one of the big-shots behind the power for the student council,”_ and even worse, states _“it is my role as Hasumi-dono’s vassal to be his shield and dispose of the evil, so that it will not reach him…”_ He apparently sees no conflict between disapproving of the Student Council’s actions, while simultaneously enabling Keito to carry out those actions by protecting him from ‘evil.’ This is quite the logical knot that can only be achieved through a total belief in the goodness of his own servitude to Keito, regardless of the context and consequences of doing so.

This is all very worrying, and comes dangerously close to outright blind loyalty – a ‘my master, right or wrong’ type of ideology. Certainly, there are many fans who seem to interpret him that way. However, that is a gross oversimplification of his character. I stated above that compassion is one of Souma’s strongest character traits, and that ultimately prevails here as well – no matter how hard he may try to bind himself to his masters entirely, his innate kindness and charity always prevent him. He is not irreparably and helplessly bound by his black and white thinking. Where there is injustice, he will want and try to set it right, even if he doesn’t understand why.

Admittedly, it is rare for Souma to speak explicitly on the subject – it’s no surprise that many players (and sometimes characters) are unsure on where he stands when he is so closed-lipped and inscrutable most of the time. However, Tsukimi Live provides a very unambiguous depiction of his position, sincerely expressed in his own words. There, he reveals that when Ra*bits were cruelly set up to perform to an empty house in the Main Story, Souma stayed behind to clean up and was shocked to see how badly they were treated, something which pained him deeply:

> **Souma:** I said goodbye to my sempai, headed back to the auditorium, and caught sight of your tears. My heart, which was merry from the usual victory, from smooth sailing, went cold in an instant. It was chilling. We have stepped on many things, ruining them while walking down our path. I thought I understood that, but it still cut to my heart… Since Hasumi-dono has not issued a formal apology, our actions must have been justice, but. It would be unfair to bow and lift my heavy spirits on my own, but. At the very least, I would like to atone for the tears that were spilled on that day. So that I can walk proudly under the sun.

All at once, Souma displays two very important things: that he does genuinely struggle to acknowledge his ‘master’ as a complex person capable of both good and bad, but also the strength of his conscience and compassion, which allow him to overcome his fears and his extremist thinking to do the right thing regardless.

This black and white thinking also informs another of Souma’s most vivid character traits – he is an extremely emotional and impulsive person, and often struggles with restraining his feelings. As Souma himself says in A Dark Night’s Passing, _“I have a bad habit of unsheathing my sword based on my emotions, without thinking things through properly.”_ (Mikejima Madara’s Feature on the Front Stage 4) This problem with emotional regulation is also very common among autistics. 

For one mundane example, he often struggles with volume control when he’s excited – as he admits in Coloured Flower Cards, _“I am relatively loud normally,”_ so much so that when he remains quiet people are shocked to see him. (Superficial Dreaming 6) Similarly, he often hums or makes noise when he’s not talking, as though he can’t quite contain himself in silence: _“I too sometimes find myself humming in the middle of doing ikebana or tea ceremonies, activities I should be doing in quiet; which often gains me a scolding from my teacher and parents.”_ (Shinsengumi, Revolutionary Ogre 1)

#####  [Trigger warning: discussion of suicide. Click here to skip this section.]

However, it’s hard to find a better demonstration of his emotional intensity than Souma’s propensity for becoming so distressed at making a mistake that he offers to commit seppuku in apology. This tendency reoccurs in so many stories it’s hard to pick just one example, but a particularly extreme case of it occurs in Keep In Character!, in which he offers to cut his stomach in penance merely for asking after Akatsuki’s plans for the school festival.

> **Souma:** Oh, um. I recognize that it is rather impertinent of me to intrude upon your conversation, but there is a matter I wished to consult you on, Hasumi-dono. Will Akatsuki be participating in the upcoming school festival? I am certain that you have your own reasons for your silence. I had resolved to wait until you should reveal the answer of your own accord, but I am afraid the suspense weighs too heavily on my mind! Even training with my sword was not enough to ease my restless heart. I lost my grip and almost wounded myself when the blade flew from my grasp. I understand that you are busy with student council work and yet, I could contain myself no longer! Hasumi-dono, I am most deeply sorry for my lack of resolve! Now that I have fallen so low, I will perform hara-kiri to demonstrate my most sincere apologies!  
>  (Keep In Character!, chapter 3)

Souma’s seppuku habit is portrayed in a wide variety of different ways by different stories. In some, characters react by noting that the other character could hardly _not_ forgive him now, as though Souma is being (surely unintentionally) kind of manipulative - _“It’d be a problem if you committed seppuku, after all, so didn’t he have no choice but to laugh and forgive you?”_ (Coloured Flower Cards, Superficial Dreaming 4) He also sometimes seems immediately relieved and happy once the other character tells him it’s not so bad, as though he does it primarily to receive external reassurance that will assuage his feelings of shame and guilt, whether he realises that consciously or not. (e.g., Purple Wisteria, Slasher Riot 1).

However, there are also some stories in which he seems entirely sincere and his distress isn’t so easily mitigated. In the Rhythm Link Akatsuki course conversation events, Souma is deeply upset when he accidentally embarrasses Anzu (in this case, by loudly calling out to her as though she were a character in a period drama, because he was excited about taking on a job of that type). Even after she tells him it’s all right and he doesn’t need to commit seppuku in apology, he still looks very worried and asks if she’s sure, as though he doesn’t quite believe he doesn’t actually deserve that. Even after that, he retreats to tell Keito about it, and was apparently so worked up over it that Keito tracks Anzu down to tell her that while he’s not sure what Souma actually did, he’s certain Souma didn’t mean to do any harm and was merely acting typically odd for him.

There is also Repayment Festival, in which Souma goes missing and doesn’t appear at school for three days. It’s ultimately revealed that he was secretly working on Akatsuki’s Repayfes live alone, but the characters all believe that he was simply overwhelmed and too stressed to come to school, and Keito even wonders whether he’s entirely lost to despair:

> **Keito:** Ugh...I’m worried. He won’t lose all hope in this world and commit seppuku, would he? I can easily imagine him say “I shall end my life because of the shame I feel for being such a disappointment! My apologies!” or such. His sword is always the first thing he thinks of when it comes to solving anything.  
>  (Repayment Festival, Before the Setting Sun 2)

##### [End of trigger warning]

Souma also seems to have a low tolerance for frustration at times. In many stories he displays a competitive streak, usually becoming rather irritable whenever he loses even when the result was inevitable (e.g., when he loses to track club member Adonis in a footrace in Tanabata Festival From Sun to Rain 2.) And when he doesn’t understand what’s going on or doesn’t know what to do, he tends to get a flare of negative emotion that can cause him to impulsively act out, which is a common thing among autistics. In Greek Legends, after Arashi tells him not to worry about her gender and Anzu agrees, Souma lets out an agitated _“Is it me who is strange? Uhhh, I don’t understand…!”_ leading Arashi to suggest he lose his ‘worries’ by running them out with her. Similarly, in School Trip we have this exchange:

> **Souma:** Urgh. I do not understand, I do not understand...!!  
>  **Mao:** Aah, don’t flail around, I said. You’re also a troublesome guy, huh ♪  
>  (School Trip, chapter 4)

However, Souma’s intense emotions aren’t always so dire or unfortunate. He also tends to react immediately whenever he believes injustice has occurred. This most often occurs with Kaoru, as Souma tends to instinctively take out his sword in anger whenever Kaoru comes on too strongly to Anzu. (Something she usually appreciates!) But it can also occur in much more positive contexts – when Souma encounters a stray cat in the Cats and the Camellia Train prologue, he immediately becomes worried that if it’s found it’ll be killed, and so pledges an immediate vow to protect it. And also remember the event described earlier from Colourful Autumn

> **Souma:** I rushed over in such a hurry, thinking that I could not waste any more than one tenth of a second, but could it be that I was one step too late...?  
>  **Kanata:** Souma, you left Anzu-san behind, didn't you? That's no good, you know, dashing over by yourself...? It means that I have to give you "punishment."  
>  **Souma:** I was unable to contain myself and left Anzu-dono behind, I have no room to justify myself.  
>  (Colourful Autumn, chapter 5)

And one of Souma’s most admirable qualities is how fully and unashamedly he experiences joy. He adores learning new things and is easily distracted by anything new and fun, seeing without hesitation the good in even small and mundane things. At these times, he lives in the moment – take Class Live, when he is enjoying himself onstage so deeply he thinks _“Ahh, I’m having so much fun my heart is leaping…!”_ and when Adonis approaches him, he asks _“Ohh, Adonis-dono! Am I frolicking too much?”_ (Class Live, chapter 13). Or in School Trip, when he’s so happy to see the Golden Pavilion that he declares _“I am quite excited to the point of nearly jumping up and down for joy ♪”_ (Chapter 3) To Souma, the world is a delight, and he partakes in it fully and without an ounce of self-consciousness. However, happy emotions of great intensity can cause problems too, as he demonstrates when they first arrive in Kyoto:

> **Souma:** The refreshing air and the beautiful autumn leaves! My soul is trembling out of delight! My beloved sword appears to be calling for me to take it out from its sheath. I feel as though I will be unable to resist this impulse and draw my sword suddenly.  
>  (School Trip, Chapter 2)

Which brings us to the next very important point. One of the things most commonly associated with autistic people is stimming – repetitive bodily motions used to express or vent strong emotions. Or, as the DSM V describes it, ‘Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech.’ All people stim to some extent, including allistic people – for example, fidgeting while bored is a kind of stim – but autistics typically need to stim much more than allistics, and do so in more unique and distinctive ways. Flapping of arms (as Kanata does often) is probably the most well-known example, but there are as many stims as there are kinds of emotion and person.

Souma canonically uses his sword to stim. He states it explicitly in Fresh Green Martial Arts: (Individual Training 3) and in School Trip: _“In order to concentrate my mind, I require my sword. Whenever I swing it, my heart becomes as peaceful as a calm sea.”_ (Chapter 1) It is his natural response to difficult situations, and if he cannot calm himself down that way, it typically aggravates his anxiety further. But it is also his natural way of expressing positive emotions, as well – see again Class Trip above, when he’s so exhilarated by the sights that he instinctively takes out his sword to release that emotion and energy.

It goes without saying that a sword is an especially inconvenient and unsafe stim toy, and while Souma can lose sight of that while caught up in momentary emotion, he does understand it intellectually. In Aquarium, he deliberately leaves his sword behind because he knows that it could cause a panic, especially in such a small space. However, between Kanata going missing, Kaoru being especially forward with Anzu, and Souma getting lost, the stress of the situation soon takes its toll on him, and being unable to calm himself down soon becomes unbearable. To mitigate this, buys something to function as a substitute stim object for himself – a plush eel in roughly the same size and shape as his sword. (It can be seen in the unbloomed of his card ‘Bonds Born From the Sea.’) By holding and swinging this instead, he can calm himself much more easily than if he had nothing at all.

> **Souma:** Even I am aware that brandishing my katana here would only cause unnecessary havoc. So I do not have my katana with me today. I feel uneasy without my katana, but… It is an unavoidable matter. Instead, I tried to search for something that could be used like a weapon, and settled on the scabbardfish plush toy at the shop here. It is even more useless than a bamboo sword, but I am skilled enough to be able to use it for punishing scoundrels if necessary. Also, it can be a souvenir for my younger brother. He enjoys the sight of cute things.  
>  (Aquarium, Inviting Friends Together 2)

That Souma goes to this extent shows how important his sword is for regulating his emotions, but also that he is able to adapt to suit other people when necessary, and that stimming is important for him even outside of his sword.

For further potential examples of stimming, also consider that Souma is a very physically active person in general. There are many other instances where he describes jumping or moving around in some other way due to his excitement, such as above in Class Trip. And again, many of his hobbies are centred around repeated, rhythmic motions, which he often describes as helping to clear his mind. Feeling emotions as strongly as he does, it makes sense that he spends a great deal of time and effort cooling himself off and bringing himself some level of serenity.

However, his sword is clearly extremely important to him beyond just its practical use as a stim object or weapon. He routinely speaks of it not merely as an item, but as an extension of his very body or soul:

> “As for me, my katana is a part of me. Not even for a moment is it possible for me to be separated from it.” (Akatsuki Thursday course mini-events)
> 
> Keito: Kanzaki, could you not even leave your sword behind when we’re...ah, never mind.  
>  Souma: Nay, ‘twould be akin to leaving my own soul behind. I would be utterly beside myself were it not on my person at all times.  
>  (Summer Nights Festival, chapter 7)

Among autistic people, it is quite common to develop strong emotional attachments to objects, much like with animals. And it is also very common for autistics to possess a ‘comfort object’ - a particular item that is particularly important and reassuring, which its owner takes great pains to protect and treasure – or, as the DSM describes, ‘strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects.’ For Souma, his sword acts exactly like a comfort object.

Firstly, it’s worth bringing up that Souma’s overprotectiveness of his sword is not solely personal. He states in Crossroad (Curse 1) that he believes if he were to lose his sword, there would be dire consequences: _“It has been passed down from previous generations that to have one's beloved sword taken away from them is shameful to a samurai's lineage. It is not a joke. I would be forced to leave from my parents' home if this occurred.”_ As of November 2020, we have very little context for this declaration – for instance, Souma’s relationship to his parents and family was far more precarious during his first year, before his mother and father came around to him acting as an idol early in his second year, so it’s possible he may no longer be so concerned about this. Still, this is likely a big part of why he is so strongly attached to his sword. However, Souma clearly does not treat his sword merely as a worthless object he is unfortunately obliged to keep around – there is a strong emotional content to his attachment wholly aside from whatever external pressures he may face.

I have already demonstrated how important his sword is for calming him down – merely being able to hold it and keep it with him makes him feel much more safe and secure. He is also very concerned for its health, deliberately avoiding anywhere with too much water as it might cause the blade to rust (a significant problem for a member of the Marine Bio Club who sincerely enjoys sea creatures), and takes very special care to sharpen it regularly – Shinsengumi (The Revolutionary Ogre 3) provides a great demonstration of the pains he goes to. Although he sometimes willingly leaves his sword behind when unavoidable, he is invariably distressed when someone threatens to take his sword away from him forcefully, as in Opera or Class Trip: _“...! I promise! Thus, I request that you refrain from at least taking away my sword!!”_ (Class Trip, Chapter 1). He explains why he feels such a strong fondness for his sword in Crossroad, Curse 1 – he has had his sword ever since he was a child (bringing in his preference for familiarity and routine), and it’s a comfort to know that he could always _“cut down any opponent”_ if need be (another way it helps to regulate his emotions). 

Sometimes, he even refers to the sword as though it’s a living being. After he offers the paired short sword to Keito as compromise (as swords are to be confiscated but he cannot let go of his katana), he says this: _“This tachi [katana] and that wakizashi are brothers, in fact. If they are separated from each other, they may become lonesome. In fact, they may start to softly weep in the middle of the night.”_ (Crossroad, Curse 2) Similarly, in Cats and the Camellia Train he brings up his sword in a seemingly irrelevant conversation about pets, implying that he feels as much of a personal relationship to the sword as he does to his pet horse or turtle. When Arashi notes how comfortable a stray cat seems with him already, we get this:

> **Arashi:** Oh myyy, he’s already gotten totally attached to you, hasn’t he? He’s purring like he’s feeling really good ♪ You seem used to it, but it’s not like you keep a cat at home, right?  
>  **Souma:** Right. Aah, it’s not a cat, but… I look after Kamegorou, who we raise at the Marine Bio Club. Cats are cute, but so are turtles. The times when I care for my sword and when I look after Kamegorou are moments of ultimate bliss for me ♪  
>  Arashi: I totally get that. I also get sooo happy when I play with Nyanko at home… Even if the pets we raise are different, the feelings of the owners are one and the same ♪  
>  (Cats and the Camellia Train, chapter 2)

(Incidentally, I love the way Arashi just rolls with it!)

It’s clear that Souma relies on his sword and these stims to deal with his strong emotions, but does he also have strong sensory sensitivities? Unusual sensory experiences are also extremely common among autistics, and form the fourth and final part of the DSM’s diagnosis criteria: ‘Hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of the environment.’ Sensitivity to sound or taste are some of the most well known examples, but any sense can count, and insensitivities and even sensory-seeking behaviour are also part of the picture.

However, this is probably the autistic experience which seems to have the least relevance to Souma. There aren’t really any instances where he displays distinct reactions as a result of specific sensory experiences that aren’t better explained in some other way. (E.g., he’s uncomfortable around too much water, but that’s merely because of his sword – once it’s packed safely away somewhere, he’s perfectly happy to wander the aquarium with Kanata.)

This also isn’t unusual. All autistic people are different, and while we typically describe the disorder as a ‘spectrum’, in reality ASD is more of a loose collection of traits which are usually but not always present in autistic people, each of which may vary greatly in intensity. For an autistic person who displays as many social and repetitive behaviour traits as Souma, it doesn’t really matter too much if he’s relatively low in sensory traits.

Still, I’ll take a brief moment to speculate on how sensory sensitivities could impact Souma, for those who are already willing to accept the premise that he is autistic. For starters, his strong emotions could be agitated by overwhelming experiences in general – he seems to have greater trouble keeping his emotions in check during new and intense situations, such as during his earlier days in Yumenosaki or while he’s on a trip away from his parents and masters in School Trip. Many of his hobbies could also involve pleasant sensory experiences – aquariums make nice sounds and calming images, dancing involves all kinds of fun spins and balances, and tea ceremony is all about quiet rooms and delicious tastes. In After the Summer Rain, he says outright that he’s not picky about fabrics, but he finds some of Anzu’s provided options _“especially nice to the touch,”_ particularly one which feels like a long-haired cat, so he may enjoy some specific textures more than most people.

In addition, consider Kanata’s habit of lazing around in fountains. I’ve already stated that Kanata is extremely easy to view as autistic, and this is definitely among the biggest indications – the joy he feels from sitting in water, and the discomfort he feels when he can’t do so for too long a period of time, sounds very much like an autistic person’s stim. (Compare, for example, the way some autistics highly enjoy lying beneath weighted blankets.) Why is this relevant to Souma? Because in Flower Festival, Keito asks him (probably rhetorically) whether Souma engages in that habit as well, and this is his response:

> **Keito:** More importantly, Kanzaki — you're strangely dripping wet... What, is that sweat? Or did you take a bath like that captain of yours?  
>  **Souma:** No, I do not have those hobbies like Captain-dono. I have tried to copy him before, but it was quite the bit of trouble as my sword will rust if soaked. It takes some time to apply and clean my sword with oil every single time.  
>  (The Flag’s Honour * Flower Festival, Brood Parasite 2)

In other words, it’s implied that Souma has tried to lie in the fountain as well, and got at least some enjoyment out of it. He stopped doing so only because of how important his sword is to him. (Plus, in this story he doesn’t seem to yet realise that it’s against the rules – by Crash Course, he’s learned that well enough to become worried about Kanata being scolded by a member of the Student Council if he’s seen. It being against school rules might be another reason he never does it again after this.)

Finally, I’ll end this section with a discussion about special interests – intense interests in a single, strictly-defined topic, where the mere existence of the thing and collecting information about it are highly enjoyable. In the DSM’s words, ‘excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests.’ Souma certainly displays this when it comes to samurai – he’s very dedicated to learning his traditional arts, he’s always excited to teach people about his sword and its history, and the whole plot of Meikyoushisui (which has been so very useful in compiling this meta) began with Souma thinking a small, practically useless samurai figure was a wonderful present merely because it was a samurai and he likes them.

Souma may also display a special interest in marine creatures as well. He joined the Maine Bio Club even before he was aware of Kanata’s true identity because Kanata put on a video about sea turtles that moved him greatly. This led to him becoming very attached to the turtle Kamegorou, despite fearing Kanata’s disapproval. In Palace of the Ocean, Souma is very frustrated by the flippant activities of the club – he wants to learn and do more, at Kanata’s direction, and isn’t satisfied with just using it as a place to chill out like Kaoru and Kanata do. And in his fourth Management Story, we see that Kanata and Souma come to regularly go to the aquarium for club activities, and that _“it always turns into a study session, as Buchou-dono knows about so many different kinds of fish”_ and Souma can’t resist asking Kanata to teach him about everything. And, of course, he constantly expresses his gratitude that Kanata taught him ‘the value of the ocean.’ It’s possible he may value the ocean so highly due to his unique devotion to Kanata, but so far we haven’t seen him indicating that he sees marine life as important for any external reason – in fact, for a long time we were told he admires Kanata _because_ he taught him about the ocean, not the other way around. Souma simply loves marine creatures for their own sake.

To sum up, Souma possesses all of the restrictive and repetitive behavioural traits we would expect of an autistic person – he’s concerned with order and routine and is uncomfortable with change, he relies heavily on stimming to counteract his intense emotions he would otherwise let out impulsively, and he enjoys calming, repetitive hobbies and collecting information about his strong interests. He does not show particularly strong evidence of sensory experiences, but they are listed merely as an optional subheading by the DSM V and are not a required component for diagnosis. Adding in his communication difficulties in the first section, he would easily qualify to be labelled as autistic.

### Conclusion

By this point, I hope I’ve made it clear why I interpret Souma as an autistic character, whether or not he was ever intended as such by his writers. And so now at the end of it all, only one question remains: why does it matter? Why did I care enough to write over fifteen thousand words on the subject?

For starters, as a neurodivergent person myself, I highly enjoy coming up with and reading about neurodivergent interpretations or characters. On a personal level, it’s fulfilling, and it’s an interesting analytical exercise. It is often hard to find other neurodivergent people, so picking through the popular culture that surrounds all of us to find representation there can be very rewarding. Additionally, neurodivergence is a very complex and personal matter – with fictional characters, we are able to delve into their inner lives and psychology in a way that would be very invasive with real people.

I also hope that this meta, like others of its type, might help educate some readers on ASD and the many different ways it can display itself. For those who have tended to imagine autistic people in very narrow ways, or who simply don’t feel fully comfortable writing characters they could label as autistic themselves, I hope this can help and provide some useful guidelines and examples. (And if you ever want any more specific advice, feel free to message me! I always welcome sincere questions, no matter what level of knowledge you start with!)

Finally, I wrote this essay because I love Kanzaki Souma very much. Sadly, I have noticed in fandom that there are many people who do not talk or write much about him, for a number of reasons. For those who feel that they don’t understand him well and wanted to get to know him better, I hope this meta would serve as a good starting point, providing an overall personality summary to demonstrate how he tends to act in typical situations. 

Additionally, I have noticed that there are also those who are reluctant to ship him with other characters, or perhaps write him in more dramatic storylines, because they view him as too ‘childish’ or ‘innocent.’ As an aromantic myself, it is of course not wrong to not want to see some characters in romantic relationships. However, it does worry me a bit that people may feel uncomfortable writing him in that way merely because of the autistic traits I have detailed through this meta. I hope that this meta can therefore offer an alternative perspective, showing that there are in fact many adults who think and act the same way Souma does, and that these ‘childish’ traits do not in any way prevent him or them from being adults. Autistic people can have any orientation, just like any neurotypical person. (So if you do still prefer to see him as lacking romantic interest, please label him as aromantic! I’d love to be able to find your works!)

However, if I may be entirely honest at the conclusion, here – all of the above are mere bonuses. I wrote this meta because it was fun and interesting and I enjoyed it. If it can be fun and interesting to other readers as well, regardless of whether it educates anyone or changes any minds, then I would consider it a success.

If you have any additions or critiques to make, please do not hesitate to comment! And remember to always stan Kanzaki Souma. <3


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